Rapid assay of rufinamide in dried blood spots by a new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method

Rufinamide (RUF) is a new antiepileptic drug with efficacy in several types of seizures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of dried blood spot (DBS) specimens to determinate RUF levels during treatment. Therapeutic drug monitoring of RUF could be useful in routine clinical practice. Advantages of DBS include short collection time, low invasiveness, ease and low cost of sample collection, transport and storage. The analysis was performed in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The calibration curve in matrix was linear in the concentration range of 0.008-0.8 mg/L (0.48-47.60 mg/L in DBS) of rufinamide with correlation coefficient value of 0.996. In the concentration range of 0.48-47.6 mg/L, the coefficients of variation in DBS were in the range 1.58-4.67% and the accuracy ranged from 89.73% to 107.32%. The sensitivity and specificity of tandem mass spectrometry allow now high throughput rufinamide analysis. This new assay has favourable characteristics being highly precise and accurate. The published HPLC-UV methods also proved to be precise and accurate, but required not less than 0.2-0.5 mL of plasma and are therefore unsuitable for sample collection in neonates in whom obtaining larger blood samples is not convenient or possible.